The Road Less Traveled

Throughout my life, I have taken the road less traveled. I have always been a curious explorer, never settling into one activity or interest. While other kids found their passions in ballet, gymnastics, or basketball at a young age and consistently practiced their sport throughout their childhood, I chose to try out a variety of activities. In fact I didn’t settle into my favorite activity – dance – until I reconnected with my passion in high school.

It seems like people who find their passion later in life are looked down upon in today’s society. Kids are expected to start training at 3 years old or else they will not be “good enough” to perform at an elite level when they are older. Similarly, in business today, where you start your career – finance, marketing, operations – can limit what types of jobs you can pursue in the future.

As I open my heart and search for my passions, I discovered that I love psychology and thinking about what customers want, which is what marketers do. I realized that I don’t really care about how what investors want or how a company makes money, which is what finance people do. When I try to find jobs that are in marketing, my resume is tossed aside due to my most recent job title – Senior Financial Analyst.

I will not be discouraged. Rather, I will take an unconventional route – the road less traveled. I believe sometimes you need to make a few wrong turns, like trying swimming or finance, in order to find what you truly enjoy – dance or marketing. I believe I have all the skills and motivation needed to be a good marketer and I am looking for someone to take a chance on me.

Taking chances on the person who has less experience may lead to extraordinary results. For example, Sabre Johnson was the winner of the hit TV competition “So You Think You Can Dance” even though she only began dancing 4 years earlier at the age of 16. With heart, determination, and hard work, Sabre became a dancing superstar.

I encourage everyone to be open to the “non-traditional” candidate. When you stay open to the possibilities and look at the heart of the candidate, you may find a diamond in the rough. You may find that your less experienced candidate becomes your next rising star.